Czytaj książkę: «Her Best Christmas Ever»

Chapter One

Hoping to beat the storm that darkened the vast Texas sky, Greg Clayton stepped harder on the gas pedal, accelerating the rental SUV.

He’d just wrapped up another grueling tour, and the members of his country-western band had scattered, each one going his or her own way for the upcoming holiday season. Greg had boarded a flight, too, and was now heading for the only place he’d ever really called home—the Rocking C.

Fourteen years ago, Granny Clayton had found him hiding in her barn, alone and afraid. Within a month, she’d started adoption proceedings to make him a part of her family.

And now, at twenty-seven, he’d been a Clayton half his life—the best half by far.

A jagged streak of lightning ripped through the clouds, which were growing more ominous by the minute, and it didn’t take long for a groan and rumble of thunder to follow.

Greg swore under his breath. This storm—the first of two, if the weatherman had called it right—was going to be a real gully-washer.

Fortunately, he wasn’t far from the ranch. But there was one particular dip in the county road that was prone to flooding with any significant precipitation, so he needed to get past that low spot before the rain began to fall. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to get through at all.

When his cell phone rang, he grabbed it off the clip on his belt and answered.

“Greg?” his elderly mother asked over the crackling line. “Is that you?”

“Yes. Is everything okay, Granny?”

“Well, yes and no. I’m doing fine, but I’m afraid Lester had a stroke. He was visiting his sister in Houston when it happened.”

“That’s too bad.” Lester was Granny’s foreman, a position he’d stepped in to fill after Clem Bixby died. As far as the ranch went, Lester did a great job. But no one would ever replace Clem when it came to having a positive, paternal influence on three adolescent boys.

“Where are you?” Greg asked, scanning the ominous, charcoal-gray horizon and hoping she was close to her destination. He didn’t like the idea of her being out on the road, especially at her age.

“I’m with Hilda,” she said. “So you don’t need to worry about me.”

Greg rolled his eyes in a silent scoff. That was supposed to make him feel better? While Hilda was only a couple of years younger than Granny, she seemed to be the designated driver these days. And more often than not, the two tended to get into trouble when they were together.

Not that the women drank; they were both churchgoing teetotalers. But together they seemed to get involved in one adventure after another, which gave Greg and his brothers more cause for worry than peace of mind.

“But where are you?” he asked.

“Somewhere within Houston city limits,” his mother said. “I’m not exactly sure, but we’ll be staying in a hotel tonight. It’s starting to sprinkle now, so we don’t want to be on the streets any more than we have to.”

That was a relief.

“How far are you from the ranch?” she asked.

Another flash of lightning struck, followed by a thunderous boom and a celestial shudder. “I’m almost to the county road now, so I’m only a couple of miles from the house.”

“Good. The only one left on the ranch is Connie, my cook. Do you remember meeting her?”

Greg had met Connie briefly at Granny’s eightieth birthday party in June. The attractive young woman had short brown hair with blond highlights. And she’d baked one heck of a chocolate cake.

If he was lucky, he’d arrive home and find a pot of something tasty simmering on the stove. He hadn’t eaten a bite since he’d boarded the plane in Las Vegas. Not that they hadn’t served him anything in first class. But he’d been exhausted after the last performance and had slept all the way to Houston’s Hobby Airport.

He wouldn’t complain, though. He loved being onstage. But sometimes he needed to replenish his creative well, and the best place to do that was at the Rocking C.

So hewas looking forward to some downtime and to spending the holidays with the Clayton clan, which was growing. His older brother, Jared, had married Sabrina in a quiet little ceremony a couple of months ago. And Matt was now engaged to Tori.

Yep. Greg would enjoy catching up with his brothers and the new ladies in their lives.

Of course, by the time New Year’s Eve rolled around, he’d be ready to meet up with the band and begin the winter tour.

“I gave all of the ranch employees time off for Thanksgiving,” Granny said, drawing Greg back to the conversation they’d been having. “But Connie didn’t want to travel. So when I got the call about Lester’s stroke, I had to leave her all by herself, which I really didn’t want to do. So I’m sure glad to know you’ll be with her, especially since there’s a storm brewing.”

“No problem. I’ll keep her company.” Greg found himself smiling. To be honest, he was looking forward to seeing Connie again. She’d been pretty quiet when they’d been introduced five months ago, and her shyness or disinterest or whatever it had been had intrigued him.

Most women, whether they were young or old, single or attached, seemed to fawn over Greg, so he was looking forward to doing some of the chasing for a change.

After disconnecting the line, he continued to the ranch, arriving about five minutes after the first sprinkle of rain hit his windshield. He parked close to the house and entered through the back door, where he removed his hat and boots and left them in the mudroom.

Just inside the kitchen, he caught the aroma of warm cinnamon and spice, and his stomach growled in response.

Since he figured his mother had told Connie he was coming, he didn’t announce his arrival. Instead, he walked into the living room, where he found her snoozing on the sofa. In her arms, she cuddled a pillow. She’d draped an autumn-colored afghan over her and had it pulled up to her chin.

Her hair was longer now; the blond highlights were gone. He couldn’t decide whether he liked it that way or not. Still, she was just as pretty as he remembered. Her face, with its light olivecolored complexion, practically glowed.

If his memory hadn’t failed him, her eyes were a greenish shade of hazel. Of course, he’d have to wait until they opened to know for sure.

A grin stretched across his face. Something told him he was going to really enjoy this particular visit home. And he almost looked forward to a fire in the hearth and the sound of rain on the roof.

Realizing he couldn’t continue to stand there and stare at her, he decided to let her sleep and to carry his luggage into his room. But as he took a step, one of the slats of hardwood flooring squeaked in protest.

Connie gasped and shot up on the sofa, her eyes—yep, definitely green—growing wide.

“Oops,” Greg said, placing his bag on the floor. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Her mouth opened, yet she didn’t attempt to speak, so he added, “I’m Greg. Granny’s son. We met at her birthday party a few months back.”

“I know who you are,” she said, running her hand through her brown locks of hair. She didn’t seem to be impressed.

“I thought I’d put my bags away,” Greg said, “then fix myself something to eat.”

“I can do it.” She threw off the pillow, as well as the afghan, revealing a belly the size of a basketball. No, make that a beach ball.

Damn. She was pregnant.

The absolute shock must have shown on his face, because she rubbed her distended womb, furrowed her brow, and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“You…” He shrugged. “You’re going to have a baby.”

“Didn’t you know?”

“Nope.” And no one had told him. Not his mother, his brothers…How could they neglect to mention something like that? He didn’t think that he’d kept his attraction to her a secret.

Lightning cracked across the sky, briefly illuminating the room.

No wonder Granny had worried about leaving Connie home alone. She looked ready to…pop.

“When are you due?” he asked, hoping it was a month or two from now. Hell, even next week would give him some peace of mind.

“On Friday,” she said.

And this was Tuesday. He hoped that the kid would stay on schedule.

Connie rubbed the small of her back and grimaced.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

She arched, all the while continuing her massage. “I’ve had a backache all afternoon.”

He glanced at the antique clock on the mantel. Five-fifteen.

For a man who’d been looking forward to having some time alone with a woman and turning on the charm, he’d sure changed his tune. Now all he could think about was making it through the night and hoping Granny wouldn’t decide to spend any extra time in Houston.

“I’ll get you something to eat while you put away your things,” she said.

“No, I can’t let you do that, especially since you’re hurting. Go ahead and lie down again. I’ll just make a sandwich. In fact, I’ll make two—one for each of us.”

“Well,” she said, “as long as it’s no trouble…”

“It’s not.” And that was the absolute truth. Hell, he needed to keep his hands busy and his thoughts on something else.

Otherwise, he was going to spend the next umpteen hours stressed out of his ever-lovin’ mind.

Connie’s back had been aching like crazy, but it had seemed to ease some over the last hour. Her heart was still skipping and jumping all over the place, though.

She’d been sound asleep when Greg had entered the house. And while she’d known he was coming, she hadn’t been expecting him until later this evening.

I’m Greg, he’d said. Granny’s son. We met at her birthday party a few months back.

Connie hadn’t needed the introduction. She’d known exactly who the tall, dark-haired man was. His handsome face had adorned the covers of several of her favorite CDs, and his voice had been a regular on KCOW, the radio station she’d always listened to when she’d lived near Galveston.

In fact, Greg might never understand why, but when she realized that her employer’s son was the Greg Clayton whose hits were tearing up the charts, Connie had nearly given two weeks notice and begun looking for a new job.

Not that Greg would have any idea who she was. Her singing career, as short-lived as it was, had been limited to gigs at seedy, two-bit bars. It had also been a surreal time in her life she wanted to forget.

After Ross’s last drunken rage, Connie had made up her mind that she wouldn’t ever let him hit her again. That she was going to make some changes in her life. Some big ones.

“Do you want to press charges?” the first officer on the scene that night had asked, as his partner called for an ambulance.

She’d nodded. “Yes, I do.”

The violence had started as a push here and a shove there. Over time, it had escalated to a twist of her arm, which had been so hard that she’d thought he might have broken something. At that point, she’d told herself she wouldn’t tolerate any more rough stuff.

The first time he actually struck her and split open her lip, he’d cried like a baby and been so remorseful that she’d softened and gone against her best judgement.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he’d said. “I just love you so much.” Then he’d apologized and promised it would never happen again.

It was a promise he hadn’t been able to keep.

Connie hadn’t grown up in a violent home, so the next time he’d blown up had been the last. She’d refused to live with a bully any longer.

As the officer read him his rights, Ross had grown even angrier. While being helped into the back of the patrol car, he’d yelled to Connie, “You’re going to be sorry for this.”

She’d been sorry already. Sorry for getting involved with him in the first place, sorry she hadn’t left him the very first time he’d raised his voice and had given her a shove.

A rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, drawing her from the dark memories, and she padded to the window to peer out into the rain.

Her mother always said that this kind of day called for a pot of soup and homemade bread.

Connie agreed, even if she wasn’t all that good at whipping anything up in the kitchen that wasn’t a dessert. She was getting better at fixing meals, though, thanks to Granny’s insistence that she do the bulk of the cooking in spite of her limited experience.

“You’ve got to learn sometime,” the older woman had said, “especially since you’re going to be a mother in a few short months.”

Connie blew out a sigh and rubbed the small of her back, which had begun to ache all over again.

Had she done too much or pulled something? Or was this just one of the many discomforts associated with the last weeks of pregnancy?

For a moment, she wondered if she might be going into labor. After all, the books she’d read mentioned something about a backache. But it seemed as though she’d been plagued with a similar pain off and on for the past few days or so.

She had a doctor’s appointment tomorrow, so she’d have to ask about it. Especially since it seemed to be hurting worse today than before.

Maybe sleeping on the soft sofa hadn’t been good for her.

Thinking that it might be better if she moved around a bit, she headed to the kitchen where Gregwas fixing sandwiches for them.

Earlier, she’d baked a cake, but she’d put off preparing anything else to eat until after she’d taken a nap, which made her feel somewhat remiss now. She’d been hired to cook the meals, so she didn’t want anyone to think she was slacking off. Neither did she want anyone to think that her pregnancy—or the baby—would hamper her ability to work and pull her own weight. She needed this job and a safe, out-of-the-way place to live.

As she stepped into the doorway, she found Greg standing at the counter, his long, dark hair pulled back with a strip of leather and hanging past his broad shoulders.

He was loading up slices of bread in Dagwood style, with ham, turkey, cheese, sliced tomatoes and whatever else he’d been able to find by rummaging in the fridge.

It was strange to see someone of his caliber standing so close, to see a talented, sexy man engaged in a run-of-the-mill task. He appeared to be one part cowboy, one part warrior, and she found herself in awe.

But she was determined not to fawn over him like a starstruck groupie.

“How about a piece of apple-spice cake?” she asked, shrugging off any misplaced attraction as she entered the kitchen.

“Sure, I’ve got a real sweet tooth, so that sounds great.” He glanced over his shoulder and tossed her his trademark smile, which did a real number on her hormones. And not the maternal kind.

Weird, she thought. Even nine months pregnant, with her thoughts and her body focused on a new baby and upcoming childbirth, she was still flattered by his attention in a male/female sort of way. But she did her best to ignore it and went to work.

After cutting two pieces of cake—one large and one small—she placed them on dessert plates.

“Let’s eat in the living room,” Greg said. “It’s getting chilly, and I want to start a fire. Besides, you’ll probably be more comfortable in there.”

He was right about that.

Ten minutes later, as several flames licked the logs Greg had stacked in the hearth, Connie reached for the afghan, wrapping it around her and the baby that slept in her womb. She’d decided to call her daughter Amanda, after a friend she’d once had, a neighbor girl who’d moved away the same summer Connie’s daddy had died.

It had been a cruel blow, a double whammy for a ten-year-old. And, for a while, she’d wondered if she could handle the heartbreak, the loneliness.

Eventually, the incredible sadness became bearable, but the loneliness never went away.

Outside the wind howled, and the rain came down in a steady sheet. Connie never had liked the wind. Not since watching The Wizard of Oz and hearing about Texas twisters that had wreaked havoc on entire cities.

“Do you have family?” Greg asked.

She turned her head, saw him watching her from across the sofa. “Yes. A mom and a sister.”

“Do they live around here?”

“Not too far.” She didn’t particularly want to talk about them. She’d never been a good liar, and since the truth hurt, she preferred to change the subject whenever possible.

“Granny said you didn’t want to take time off for the holiday.”

“I thought it might be best to stick close to my doctor in Brighton Valley.”

“You mean Doc Graham?” Greg asked. “He’s the only one in town, as far as I know.”

“Actually, Doc retired a couple of months back, and Dr. Bramblett took over his practice.”

“Are you okay with that?” Greg asked. “I know Doc is getting on in years. And most doctors his age would have retired a decade or more ago. But he’s got a solid reputation for having a good bedside manner and being a top-notch diagnostician, at least as far as small-town physicians go.”

“I know what you mean. And, yes, I was a little disappointed when he introduced me to Dr. Bramblett. But I really like her, too. It’ll be okay.”

Both doctors had assured her that she was healthy and that they had no reason to believe she’d have any problems. In fact, during her last exam, Dr. Bramblett had said that the baby was in perfect position—head down and dropped low in the pelvis.

Still, Connie had to admit she was a little nervous and scared about actually having the baby, even if she’d read everything she could get her hands on lately.

“Is your mother going to be with you for the birth?” Greg asked.

“No, I don’t think so.” In truth, Connie hadn’t told her mom or her sister that she was expecting. Neither of them had approved of Ross, even though they hadn’t known he had a drinking problem and was abusive.

Her mother had been relieved to know that he and Connie had broken up for good, but she wouldn’t be the least bit happy to learn her youngest daughter was going to be an unwed mother.

A small part of Connie was tempted to tuck her tail between her legs and run home to Mama anyway, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do that. Her mother—Dinah Rawlings of daytime television fame—had a conservative audience and wouldn’t appreciate the bad publicity right now, even if Connie’s days of rebellion were over.

Besides, ever since her father’s death, it seemed that their mother/daughter relationship had been steadily deteriorating. Now it was more of a facade than anything.

In part, Connie blamed her mother’s obsession with work and those stupid television ratings for the rift. But she knew it went much deeper than that. She’d never been able to compete with her older sister.

Yet even if she and her mom got along great, she was afraid Ross might be able to find her through her mother. And Connie couldn’t let him do that.

Nor could she risk letting him learn they’d conceived a baby during their tumultuous time together. Ross had lost his temper more than once, making Connie the victim of domestic violence.

What might he do to a child?

The evening, as awkward as it promised to be, stretched before them like a bungee cord pulled to its limit, ready to bounce or snap at any moment. So Greg turned on the television, which seemed to help. At least, the men’s action flick he’d settled on had made the time pass. If Connie didn’t like the movie he’d chosen, she didn’t mention it.

But just before eight, when the villain was about to get his comeuppance, the power went out, causing the television to shut down with a whoosh and the house to go dark.

The only light came from the fireplace, which was still going strong.

“Uh-oh.” Connie’s voice bore the hint of a tremble.

“Don’t worry.” Greg pushed himself out of the leather recliner on which he’d been sitting and stood. Then he made his way to the hearth, where he took the candles from a grouping on the mantel and stooped to hold the wicks—one at a time—near the flame until they lit. When he was finished, he placed the candles throughout the room.

He wondered if Granny still kept the flashlights in the mudroom. Probably. He would just have to carry a candle with him when he went to look.

After he’d finished creating a bit more illumination in the room, he turned to find that Connie had pulled the afghan closer, nearly to her chin, as though hiding behind it.

“There isn’t anything to be afraid of,” he said.

“I never have liked to be alone in a storm.”

“Hey.” He chuckled, trying to make light of it. “You’re not alone. You’ve got me.”

For the first time this evening, she smiled. The warmth in her eyes made her appear even prettier than before.

When he’d first been introduced to her, he’d been told her last name was Montoya. He’d assumed she’d had Latino blood, like him. Yet she was fairer than he was.

“You ought to smile more often,” he said. But he didn’t see any reason to tell her why.

“There hasn’t been much to be happy about in the past year or so.”

He waited for her to explain, but she didn’t, and he was torn between letting the subject die and trying to revive it. But without the television or radio to distract him, all he could think about was the pregnant woman sitting next to him.

“Are you unhappy about having a baby?” he finally asked.

She caressed the basketball-size mound of her belly. “The timing certainly could have been better. But it’s not her fault.”

“Her?”

“I’m having a little girl.” Connie smiled again, which gave him a sense of relief. “At least, that’s what Dr. Bramblett said during my ultrasound.”

Gregwasn’t often reminded of thewoman who’d given birth to him. She’d died the day hewas born, and he’d never had the chance to meet her. But his tia, his aunt, had told him howhis mother used to sing to him while he was inside her womb. How determined she’d been to provide him with a happy home and a future.

Eventually, he’d been blessed with the things his mother had wanted for him, but she’d never lived to see it or to be a part of it. And that made him sad—sad for her because she would never know how hard he’d tried to make her proud.

Did Connie think about her baby like that? Did she have hopes and plans for her child’s future? Had the baby become real to her?

Somehow, the answer seemed to matter more than it should.

“What are you going to name your daughter?” he asked.

“I’m leaning toward Amanda. But I suppose I’ll have to see what she looks like. Something else, like Megan or Tricia, might be more fitting.”

That made sense, he supposed.

He had no idea what his mother would have named him, had she lived. His aunt had been the one to choose Gregorio, after the priest who’d delivered him.

Greg and Connie each fell into silence. Lost in their own thoughts, he supposed.

The candles cast a soft glow in the room, and the flames caressed the logs in the hearth. The crackling embers struck up an interesting harmony with the rain pounding on the window panes, creating an aura that would have been romantic if Connie hadn’t been expecting a baby.

“Will you be staying on at the ranch after she’s born?” he asked.

“I plan to. Brighton Valley seems like a good place to raise a family.”

“Maybe,” Greg said. “But I’d get cabin fever if I were stuck in a place like this for very long.”

“With your career, I guess it’s a good thing you like traveling.”

“Yes, I do. I suspect you’re a real homebody, though.”

“More so now than ever.” She tossed him another smile, and it touched a chord deep in his heart. “After the mess I got myself into, I’m looking forward to a quiet, peaceful life.”

“What mess was that?” Greg didn’t usually quiz people, so his knee-jerk curiosity surprised him. But he couldn’t helpwondering about Connie’s past, about what had brought her to the Rocking C.

She stroked her belly. “Let’s just say I didn’t plan on getting pregnant.”

“I take it that you and the father aren’t together anymore.” Greg watched her expression, trying to read into each twitch of the eye, each faint movement of her lips.

“Getting involved with that man was the biggest mistake I ever made,” she admitted.

“Does he know about the baby?”

“No. And he won’t ever know about her if I can help it.”

There was only one conclusion for him to make. “The guy must have been a real jerk.”

She fingered the crocheted edge of the afghan, then looked up at him. “He was mean and jealous whenever he drank. And toward the end, that seemed to be all he ever did.”

Greg had known his share of men like that. And while he thought about quizzing her further, he figured some memories were best left alone.

They made small talk for a while, nothing personal. And as the antique clock on the mantel gonged for the ninth time, Connie yawned.

“You know,” she said, struggling to balance the bulk of her girth as she got to her feet, “I’m winding down faster than that clock. I think I’d better go to bed.”

“All right. Sleep tight.” He watched her go, thinking that she didn’t look the least bit pregnant from behind.

But Connie didn’t get five steps away when she froze in her steps and looked down at the floor, where a puddle of water pooled at her feet.

As her gaze met Greg’s, she seemed to silently ask, “What should I do?”

And he’d be damned if he knew.